Once a Year
by Fallen Ark Angel
Summary: Laxus doesn't go nearly as often as he should, but Mira thinks it's just enough. - One-shot.


A soft rain was falling over the city when they awoke that morning and while it was hardly a deterrent on its own, there were more storms on the horizon and Laxus attempted to persuade his girlfriend into staying home rather than venturing out into the unpleasant.

But with a shake of her head, she only insisted that they head out, per their plan, and that it must be a sign. A good one. A thunder storm might signify a bad omen for some, but he was Laxus Dreyar. The Thunder God. Raijin.

"It should be welcoming," Mirajane replied with a slight smile, "for you."

Perhaps.

Still, they headed out just as day broke, stopping in at the florist to pick up a beautiful bouquet before catching a train. Laxus, as always, only braved his motion sickness for the most important of reasons, and did so with the whitest of knuckles that early morning. Typically he could rely on Mirajane to be rather comforting to him in such moments, but she seemed preoccupied by the flowers instead, gently prodding and primping each of the pearly white petals

The rain outside picked up some. The rattling against the train windows gave Laxus a bit of a distraction as, his headphones not exactly fitting the occasion, the steady thumps this provided assisted in regulating his breathing. Save the occasional snore from the old man, a few rows up snoozing in the otherwise empty train car, the only other noise Laxus was given was the soft hums of his girlfriend. It was a tune he didn't recognize, neither one of her own nor one of the popularized songs of the time, but her hums were as pretty as her voice. Shutting his eyes, it was easy enough to forget.

Like he always tried to.

Like time allowed him to.

But when the date struck just right, it became near impossible and, after the following year when she insisted they make the same such trip, he did find some solace in the destination. It was only on the rarest of occasions that he found himself going there otherwise and, to set a precedence to go at least once a year, as they seemed to be now, he figured it could only help.

"I wish I could go back," she told him softly when they departed from the train, the bouquet held in her hands as his own slipped into his pockets. "Sometimes. To my home. Just to see..."

They weren't far out from Magnolia, only an hour by train, but the sky wasn't nearly as downcast and it was more of a mist than a shower. His mother's hometown was much smaller, more quaint, than that of the slayer, and though he held much pride in the city life he'd been gifted in Magnolia, sometimes he did think about how it would have been. How different. Had he grown up in the much smaller, more rural area rather than the perhaps too fast and loose guildhall.

"I guess I could go back," Mirajane sighed some, more to herself given the silence the slayer had lapsed into for the past few hours. "If I really wanted. Who would stop me? But I'm not sure what I hope to find. Closure?" But she frowned suddenly, glancing up at the man with worried eyes as she remarked, "I'm sorry, dragon. I'm being selfish. Today is about you. Not-"

Freeing his hand from his jean's pocket, Laxus reached over to squeeze the back of her neck in what he meant to be reassuring. Thankfully, Mirajane must have taken it the same way as she only let out a deep breath before adding, "Maybe one day we'll go back. All of us. My brother and sister too. But today there's nowhere I'd rather be."

Laxus could think of a few places. Mainly somewhere, anywhere, he could get drunk and forget himself. But as his hand fell from her neck, Mira shifted the bouquet to only one of hers so she cold catch his, squeezing it with just as much reassurance.

It was a bit muddy, obviously, the graveyard was and Laxus frowned down at his boots as they left tracks in the soft ground, all the way over to a tiny headstone, overgrown a bit and perhaps a bit lonely, compared to the many surrounding it adorned with flowers. It made sense. It was a small cemetery, given the size of the most unremarkable city, and he figured most the locals still cared deeply for their loved ones. Given his mother no longer had any living relatives there to do the same for hers, it made sense it was bare.

But not for long.

Mirajane wasn't bothered by the mud, not even as she leaned down to rest the bouquet before the stone marker, moving also to pluck the few surrounding weeds.

Laxus only stood before her, his hand feel much emptier absent of hers, and the water from his hair ran down his face and across his cheeks as he didn't even fight it then. The memories. They got harder to recall, each year, and he knew this was just the product of time passage, but it didn't help in the slightest that he never spoke about her. Ever.

No one did to him, following her passing. Not even Gramps. And as he internalized this, he found it difficult to bring her up to anyone. Not even his closest friends.

"Look." Tilting her head up, Mirajane didn't look at him, but rather the sky as she added, "The sun came out."

But Laxus only reached up and ran his fingers through his blond locks, blinking away the leftover rainwater. His nostrils burned a bit and though he tried to sniffle it away, his voice was kinda broken as he said, "I really should come here. More often."

Mira hummed softly before replying, "I'm sure she's appreciative, Lax, no matter what."

He sneered. "She's dead, Mira. She doesn't appreciate anything."

This didn't get a rise though, but she did get to her feet once more, staring with him down at the gravestone. A smile played at her lips though as her eyes drifted over the engraving.

"I'm sure she'd understand. Why you can't come around much. You're so busy. Always." Mira glanced up at him. "I bet she's so proud of you though."

"Mira-"

"I'm sorry, I just..." Reaching over, she brushed a hand against his arm before asking, "Would you me to give you a minute?"

For a moment, Laxus seemed to at least be considering this, but just as quickly he dismissed it as he turned.

"No. We have to get back. Your sister can only cover the morning shift for you. And I uh...I wanna just be alone for a bit. In the apartment."

With a nod, she grasped his arm this time and as they set out from the cemetery, the sun was shining brightly, leaving them both hopeful for much the same back home. The next train headed that way would be a bit, so they stopped off for breakfast at the only diner in town.

Mira caught his eyes as he only picked at his omelet, more concerned with him than she seemed to be her own meal.

"You're okay, right?" she asked gently. Sometimes she worried, honestly, that she pushed him too far. Into many things, honestly. And though she recognized the need for the slayer to take a few more steps out of his comfort zone, properly addressing the anniversary of his mother's death was hardly her true domain of control. Not when she had her own similar baggage. "Dragon?"

He didn't smile back at her and seemed far more down than he typically was, but when he stretched his arm out, it was to lay a hand over hers while staring deeply into her eyes.

"Thanks," he grumbled simply. "Demon."

Giggling some in response, she nodded before saying softly, "I just...want you to be okay. Always. Lax."

Instead of replying to that though, he only offered as he removed his hand from hers, "I think she'd have liked you. Mira. A lot."

Her breath caught some and she blinked back her own tears then, looking down at her breakfast once more.

"I'd hope so, dragon," she agreed. "I'd really hope so."


End file.
